1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a plotter, and a multi-function machine, including a replaceable container containing consumables.
2. Description of the Background
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, plotters, multi-function machines, or the like typically include replaceable containers (e.g., toner bottles, ink cartridges, ink containing bags) that contain consumables (powder, liquid, or gel), such as toner or ink. In general, toner containers (bottles) that are removably installable in the image forming apparatuses are used.
In order to set the container (e.g., toner bottle) into the image forming apparatus body, better visibility of the container in the image forming apparatus is a requirement. Conversely, in order to protect the user from injury by a connecting portion of the container for installing or connecting the container in or to the image forming apparatus and prevent the vicinity of the connecting portion from contamination by the spilled toner and ink, the connecting portion is usually hidden.
For example, in a related art image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming unit 1a and a front cover 1b. When the front cover 1a is opened, four installation openings 2 in a front face of the image forming unit 1a are visible, and four toner bottles 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K respectively containing yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners are installed in the corresponding installation openings 2. In a state in which the toner bottles 3 are inserted into the installation openings 2, the image forming unit 1a forms an image and prints the image onto a recording medium.
The toner bottles 3 includes a bottle body 32 that contains toner and a connecting portion (cap) 31 that is inserted into the image forming unit 1a (apparatus body) of the image forming apparatus 1. In other types of containers, the container is formed of a connecting portion to be inserted into the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus and a container body other than the connecting portion, similarly to the toner container.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are expanded views illustrating the toner bottle 3 and the vicinity of the installation openings 2. In FIG. 1, because the apparatus body 1a can hide not only the connecting portion 31 of the toner bottle 3 but also the bottle body 32 of the toner bottle 3, the user is less likely to be able to discriminate between the respective colors (Yellow (Y), Magenta (M), Cyan (C), and Black (K)) contained in the bottle body 32 of the toner bottle 3. More specifically, the user can see only a posterior end of the bottle body 32 that is an end opposite the end at which the connecting portion 31 is located in a state in which the toner bottles 3 are inserted into the installation openings 2. Thus, since the bottle body 32 of the toner bottle 3 is formed of a transparent (or semi-transparent) resin, the user can only confirm the color of the toner contained in the toner bottle 3 by pulling out the toner bottle 3 from the installation opening 2 in the apparatus body 1a either entirely as shown in FIG. 2A) or partially as shown in FIG. 2B.
Moreover, recently, image forming apparatuses, such as a printer that is connectable to a personal computer, have been personalized, thus making the printer more compact. However, due to limitations imposed by body size of the printer, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 may be difficult to adapt to a compact printer. In a compact printer 10 like that shown in FIG. 3, a portion where the toner bottles 3 are disposed is completely covered with an external cover 12 surrounding a top surface of an entire printer body 11 of the printer 10.
In the printer 10, since the bottle body 32 of the toner bottle 3 is formed of a transparent and/or semi-transparent resin, the user can confirm the colors (Y, M, C, and K) of the toner contained in the toner bottle 3.
FIG. 4 shows an expanded diagram of the vicinity of the toner bottles 3 in the printer 10 shown in FIG. 3. As described above, in this example, since a portion where the toner bottles 3 are disposed is entirely covered by the external cover 12 surrounding a top surface of an entire printer body 11, not only the bottle bodies 32 of the toner bottles 3 but also the connecting portions 31 of the toner bottles 3 are exposed when the external cover 12 is opened. FIG. 4 also shows an installation holder 19 of the printer body 11, and in which reference character D represents spilled toner in the vicinity of the connecting portion 31 of the toner bottle 3 and close to the installation holder 19 of the printer body 11.
As can be seen from FIG. 4, since the connecting portion 31 of the toner bottle 3 is exposed when the exterior cover 12 is opened, when the user touches the toner bottle 3 in this condition, the toner D may be scattered inside or outside the apparatus. Further, the user's hands may become dirty by the toner D.
In an effort to counteract the above-described problem, some image forming apparatuses provide an internal cover as well as an external cover, so that the portion where the toner bottles are disposed is covered doubly with the interior cover and the exterior cover. However, such a configuration is complicated and costly.